The present disclosure relates generally to a motion control mechanism and, more particularly, to systems and methods for braking or launching a ride vehicle.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
There are various applications that utilize mechanisms to accelerate and stop a vehicle carrying passengers. For example, trains, roller coasters, and the like, may utilize one or more linear induction motors (LIMs) or linear synchronous motors (LSMs) to accelerate a ride vehicle or car along a track and bring the ride vehicle or car to rest at a desired location. LIMs and LSMs are essentially electric motors that have been unrolled with the rotors lying flat in a linear configuration. LIMs and LSMs produce the force to move a ride vehicle or car by producing a linear magnetic field to attract or repel conductors or magnets in the field. LIMs and LSMs typically include a rotor secured to the track and a stator secured to the moving ride vehicle or car, or vice versa. In LIMs, the rotor may include linear coil windings included in a ferrite core to which three-phase electric alternating current (AC) power may be supplied. The rotor may be covered by a panel. The stator may include a conductor, such as an aluminum steel panel, also referred to as a reaction plate. On the other hand, in LSMs, the rotor may be one or more permanent magnets and the stator may be the coil, both of which may be covered by separate panels. In either scenario, when AC power is supplied to the coil, a magnetic field may be produced. In LIMs, the reaction plate may generate its own magnetic field when placed in the rotor's magnetic field due to induced eddy currents, and the two magnetic fields may repel or attract, thus causing the vehicle to accelerate or slow down. Likewise, in LSMs, when the energized coil stator passes by the permanent magnets in the rotor, electrically controlled magnetic fields may repel or attract, thereby causing the vehicle to accelerate or slow down.